Nine Place Ribbon Bar

[Sonderkommando]

Hi,
I picked up this nine place ribbon bar as part of a trade and was hoping someone could tell me a bit about it. What are the ribbons on it, and would it be an officers bar?
The ribbon third from the right may have had a device on it as the ribbon is a bit pulled there. It is backed in a deep maroon velvet.
Is it WW1, earlier or later?
Appreciate any info on this,

Thanks,
Brett

[landsknechte]

Hi,
I picked up this nine place ribbon bar as part of a trade and was hoping someone could tell me a bit about it. What are the ribbons on it, and would it be an officers bar?
The ribbon third from the right may have had a device on it as the ribbon is a bit pulled there. It is backed in a deep maroon velvet.
Is it WW1, earlier or later?
Appreciate any info on this,

Thanks,
Brett

From left to right:
1. 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class
2. Anhalt Freidrich's Cross
3. 1919 Silesian Eagle 2nd Class (a Freikorps award)
4. Hindenburg Cross
5. Hungarian WWI Commemorative
6. Prussian War Commemorative Cross
7. Honor Legion Medal
8. Flander's Cross
9. Kyffhauser-Bund

It's an interesting bar, that's for certain. He's got more "I was there" decorations on his bar than one's that he earned on the battlefield. I don't know the requirements for the Anhalt decoration, so that may offer some sort of an insight as to the rank or status of the owner. Ribbons 4-9 were simply awarded for being there. The Hindenburg Cross was the German government's own "I was there ribbon", and the ribbon immediately to the right was the Hungarian government's equivalent awarded to Axis troops who applied for it. 6-9 were veteran's association ribbons awarded for the valorous paying of membership dues. The odd thing is that the institution of the Hindenburg Cross banned the wear of the vet's association and private purchase decorations, so 6-9 shouldn't have been there at all.

It has to be a post-1934 bar, due to the Hindenburg Cross. Delete that, and you've got a nice bit of self-aggrandizing 1920's Weimar puffery.

--Chris

[Daniel Krause]

Nice and very interesting bar indeed!

Just to add, Unusual to see the south German style on a Anhalt/Prussian bar.

After 1934 he should have removed everything behind the Hungarian medal, because all this unofficial Weimar republic stuff was banned in 1935.

Unfortunately too thin for an ID and also too thi to say if Officer or NCO.

Best regards

Daniel

[Sonderkommando]

Thanks Chris/Daniel for the info on this bar.

It sounds like it's not as impressive as it looks!
With the Honor Legion Medal, should it have a device on it or is it meant to be as it is? If it is meant to have one what would it be as I would like to restore it with its correct device if it is meant to have one.
Also, would it be reasonable to say that it could be from the period late '34/early'35?
Your help is much appreciated.

Best regards,
Brett

[landsknechte]

Thanks Chris/Daniel for the info on this bar.

It sounds like it's not as impressive as it looks!
With the Honor Legion Medal, should it have a device on it or is it meant to be as it is? If it is meant to have one what would it be as I would like to restore it with its correct device if it is meant to have one.
Also, would it be reasonable to say that it could be from the period late '34/early'35?
Your help is much appreciated.

Best regards,
Brett

Personally, I think it's quite a cool ribbon bar, even if the owner wasn't a field marshall. I love the Weimar and Freikorps stuff.

I honestly don't know it well enough to say if it's missing a device or not, but I'd vote against any sort of "restoration". That's just me though.

You're probably right about the late '34 / early '35 assessment, but I'll let someone else more knowledgable conifrm that. I had assumed that the Hindenburg Cross automatically replaced the veteran's association awards and the private purchase vanity awards, but it would make sense that there might have been an overlap before it dawned on someone to institute a formal ban. You very seldom see ribbon bars with Hindenburg Crosses and these vanity ribbons, but that could either be from them being against regulations, or from them only having been allowed for a few months.

--Chris

[McCulloh]

late 1934-early 1935....probably. While the HK started to be awarded in 1934 (and the vast majority of award docs I have seen are from Oct. 1934-March, 1935) the ban wasn't implemented until later in 1935. I have a Stahlhelm Provincial roster that is profusly illustrated with members photos from 1935 and early 1936 that clearly shows both types of awards being worn.
However, after 1938 it's very rare to see any of these vets awards on SA reserve/ War Vets. uniforms, although a few snuck in some here and there.